SHEmale
by Gaelle Mari
Summary: <html><head></head>He didn't even want to... he just have to protect Aoi from the bullies. He never wanted to crossdress and enter an all girls highschool. NxM</html>
1. One: Bullying and Cross dressing

**A/N: 04/29 today. Posted this two days ago? Then the net connection went _ and so editing was delayed. Haha! I just had to post this last time without even taking a second check. I've spotted a WHOLE LOT of typos considering the fact that I typed this the moment I woke up, GOMEN! I'm kind of at loss with my other fics so I just wrote this. Mikan's kind of OOC, Nat too :))**

**06/09 Content replaced. Quite a few changes and yeah... added some more things. I tend to under describe when writing cause I'm not really a good writer. Teehee. And if you spot a typo that my poor eyes didn't catch, do tell me.**

**Disclaimer: Only this fic is mine. All goes to Tachibana-san!**

* * *

><p><strong>SHEmale<strong>  
>One: Bullying and Cross dressing<p>

.

"Good Evening," a voice from the dark said then a small bulb turned on, radiating a dim orange light near Nonoko Ogasawara's face. She was a third year top star student of Alice Academy with long midnight blue hair and full bangs that covered her big orbs. Adjusting her sight from the sudden spark of brightness, she slanted her eyes trying to identify who was talking to her. "Who…" she faintly muttered, wincing in pain as she struggled to break free from the tight rope that held her wrists since someone attacked her after class.

"You've been becoming popular lately, Ogasawara-chan" a small figure emerged from the darker side of the room. Nonoko focused and tried to study the mystery person—a girl. She had _dark hair styled in a bob cut_ but Nonoko couldn't really figure out what the exact color was. The stranger was _fit_ and had quite a _good figure_ too, like someone she knew—someone everybody knew.

"Sa… Sakura-san?" Nonoko unsurely called out.

A smile crept up the stranger's lips, "My, my… you're like the rest." She stepped closer and closer, allowing herself to be visible, earning a loud strained gasp from Nonoko who had her eys bulged out in surprise. Nonoko struggled once again, rocking the old, wooden chair where both her arms and feet were tied securely but gained a hard slap on her right cheek instead.

"No way… You… The rumors are true!" the girl in danger said, eyes still fixed on the well-known bully who had a playful smile on her face. "Why are you doing this? I didn't do anything wrong to you!"

"Popularity. That's all. This is just a small warning, Ogasawara-chan!" she said cutely in mockery then two unknown girls came with buckets filled with water. They then poured all the contents on Nonoko who face the floor, letting them do what they wanted.

Her hair went into a mess and covered her face, sticking on her red cheek. "Oh! You suddenly look ugly!" Nonoko heard her and the snickers of the other two. "Let me help you. Shall I fix this? This way, hm?" she felt a hand touch her hair and saw a pair of scissors glisten.

"You'll never get away with this!" Nonoko fought but the other person only pouted.

"Oh. No one will believe you. Trust me, you won't tell this to anybody… cause if you do…" she said then she mercilessly cut Nonoko's long hair. "All of you, first years to even seniors… no one will. All top stars will let me play with them like this—and never talk. Cause this is the way. I only want something simple…" she continued, completely shredding Nonoko's hair.

"Stop," she cried. "Stop it, please!"

"Don't ever, ever join the Alice Queen Search." She said, dropping the scissors on the wet floor. "Have a nice winter break, sweetie. And grow your hair." Their laughs roared on as Nonoko whimpered to herself but everything stopped when they heard a loud bang and the school basement's door crashed open."

.

* * *

><p>"That girl! That girl! That girl!" Aoi Hyuuga screeched. The girl of sixteen recently entered Alice Academy, a prestigious all-girl school famous for its rigorous training and discipline to students academically, socially and physically. She threw a tantrum that weekend, her face red and full of heat, and her raven hair cut in a short bob cut was in complete disarray.<p>

"Lower it, Aoi" her brother, Natsume Hyuuga said, looking sleepy as ever with his tight black shirt and gray pajamas but still looking like he came from a photo shoot for Ceci. He also inherited their mother's hair color, dark raven hair that was naturally and genetically soft and shiny but his eyes, unlike Aoi's brown orbs was deep red but dull. Every time he looks at something, his eyes would appear like it had just seen the most uninteresting thing in the world and he's look like he want to throw it on fire instantly. A while ago, he was taking a badly needed nap when he and their mother heard her creating noise.

"Oni-chan," she said, her arm steadily on air with a pillow on her grip and if it were alive, it'd be very thankful that the other person came before she could even send it flying somewhere across the gigantic room. Shifting to a lax form, she just tossed the pillow on the floor but not close enough to Natsume who, if ever encounters something dirty, ugly or messy would immediately burn it in disgust without care of the consequences. He almost his room's carpet before, she remembered, when his friend Kokoro Yome spilled fish sauce on it.

He grumpily invited himself over her orange couch and picked a pillow somewhere among the mess giving Aoi a knowing look; the 'I'm-gonna-burn-your-room-soon-enough' look. He made himself comfortable, having his whole body occupy the lengthy cushion, "So, why are you throwing a tantrum early this morning? And for _my_ sake, it's the start of winter break and you're starting it really right" Perking up, he managed to caught sight of Aoi's asymmetrical hair that looked like it was recklessly cut with something sharp, her lower lip was busted and there was a small reddish scratch near her chin. "Talk." He said seriously.

"It's that girl's fault! I only wanted a good start in high school but that girl! Oh! Why couldn't she just go with the flow?" she started her supposed to be monologue but turned into a blabbering mode, throwing her hands on her hair and messing it furiously. "I don't know what to do! I'm trying to make things work out for me but she always meddles in. I do this and she suddenly pops out of nowhere and starts to make things hard for me. For a senior, she's such a bitch!"

"Bad word." He interrupted.

"What?" she whined. "As if you don't use them,"

He smirked, eyes just half open since he was planning to resume his slumber after calming his sweet little sister. "Don't worry. Should I try talking to you principal then?" he stepped up and gave her a tight comforting hug.

"Wait—No! Her? No." she strongly disagreed. "Well, I mean. You can't. Going there had always been a hassle for you. You can't even step casually in even if papa was the engineer who created the buildings. Men aren't allowed remember? Plus, I don't want this bullying thing become a very big issue in school. And _those_ girls would _definitely_ crowd you over."

"Well, if you put it that way…"

"I'll just do my own business and let her be. No one likes that senior anyway."

He watched her in contentment then dragged himself back to his own room.

.

* * *

><p><strong>Alice Academy look book<strong>  
><em>AY 2008—2009<em>

Natsume flipped the glossy pages of the all-girls school look book from two years ago as he sat comfortably on his bed after lunch. He had kept the thick article way back when he first had his hands on it. During his freshmen days, it was suddenly released without the Academy's permission—the look book's final draft. It was actually the unedited version which contained a very controversial picture that caused a lot of ruckus years ago.

Flipping eight more pages, he skipped the introductory messages and the facilities section cause he had already seen enough. Even before he had hit puberty, he had memorized the school's blue print since he was a pretty meddlesome kid while his father was working.

"Ranking System…"

**Student's are ranked semi-annually from the low ranks to the middle ranks and the top stars and are judged according to physical ability, talents, character and discipline, lady-likeness and academics.**

Ranks were identified through uniforms that's why the annual look book was pretty popular in his own boys school. Of course, boys like cute girls in girly uniforms. **From the girls who are not ready to bloom yet, they wear black tight pants and the prescribed blouse with male collar.**

"Tch. Not yet ready to bloom? Crap. Aoi had just entered it and she's already at the highest rank" he grumbled. Staring at the picture of the low rank model, he sighed. "Poor this girl. Not yet ready to bloom… Ha! More like ugly, ill-mannered and poor in studies" He glowered over the picture from head to toe. Her _short and black messy hair_ irked him plus her face. "Make up TOO thick" But then, he admitted that the girl's body was commendable and every time he scanned that page, he wondered if the one on the photo was really supposed to be on that rank.

"Forget it. Perhaps the one who was bullying Aoi was from this rank." Turning on the next page, he looked at the model of the mid-rank students that wore a pleated skirt that was two inches above the knee and the prescribed blouse with sailor collar. "Imai… mid-rank before, now is competing with Luna for the _Queen's title_. She used to be a top star back in middle school… now what wrong did she do?"

Shifting his gaze on the right page, he was greeted by the picture of the now most popular girl in both Alice Academy and his school. His said –to-be girlfriend and Alice Academy's 'next Queen' : Koizumi Luna. She was wearing a dress patterned to the school's blouse, making her look like a princess with a very sweet smile. He had meet her often back during middle school during inter school events and Aoi was really fond of her. She was really a sweet, pretty and smart girl that was a bit popular in Alice Academy's middle school branch. His parents would invite her often at their house for dinner and close family gatherings. He even wondered before why there was still someone more popular that her. But then, he didn't like looking at other girls so he didn't really cared so much. Luna would bake cakes for him, shop with him in delight and she had always been concerned over his health and wellbeing that's why it wasn't hard for him to accept the future reality that he'd eventually end-up with her.

He closed the booklet, marveling the cover. The unedited version that he was holding had on its cover, a picture of an unknown girl wearing a different kind of uniform: the special rank's—the queen's uniform. Alice Academy used to elect a queen annually and gave the honor to be the school's representative on activities outside and also gave the right to wear a different and most wanted school uniform, a dark violet and velvety dress fit only to a fine lady. It had intricate stiches and imported laces plus a chocker with an emerald at the middle. Because of its exclusivity, even for look book purposes, the special uniform wasn't allowed to be worn by any student—just the queen. But two years ago, there was no elected queen so it became a shock when some unknown student wore it. Nobody talked and confessed on who was the student which led to the annual queen search to become a once in a blue moon activity.

"No one has met her still…" he touched the cover lightly with his fingers, staring deeply on the picture, a young and slim pretty girl with a very nice figure on the queen's uniform, her hair, shiny brown tied neatly on a Victorian style bun and her lips, curved into a bright smile. Her face had little make-up that was enough to enhance her looks making her ooze in charisma. One thing he hated himself was that, like his batch mates who had seen the look book, he also preferred her over Luna. He thought it was completely not right, he knew Luna would be hurt but he just can't shake the reality off.

"You've been staring at that five minutes longer than on Luna's picture."

Natsume snapped from his thoughts and saw one of his best buddies, Kokoro Yome , a thin and pale guy with a wide grin over his face who practically lives in his house since he's 16/7 in when they're not in their dorms. He only goes back to his own house to sleep and hangs out with Natsume like they're twins. He popped a small donut in his mouth and chewed as the powdery sugar fell on his purple sweater.

The young Hyuuga shot him a glare. "You're dirty."

"What?" Koko comically stood in attention, "should I throw myself in the fire place now?"

Natsume raised his brows, "Please do so."

Koko grinned. "I'd do that later. So what did you call me for? I was even fixing some papers for the dorm; I need to finish them before winter break's over. If you needed good advice then Ruka would've been a better choice. You know me." He playfully winked.

"I don't need good advice. I need a _crazy_ plan so I need a _CRAZY_ person."

"Ha—Ha. Funny." He sneered, rolling his eyes and placing the plate of donuts back on the coffee table. "So, tell me what the problem is."

"Aoi is being bullied and I have no idea on how to check her condition while she stays there. She refused my help so… Tch. Luna… I forgot. She could help me." He slapped his forehead upon the realization and reached for his phone.

"Nah-ah. No, not Luna."

Natsume shot a pissed look.

"No, trust me. Not her. It's best not to burden _girlfriends_ with _boyfriends'_ problems."

"Koko, she's family."

"Stop making me laugh. You sought me before her? Forgotten her, duh. Watching you stare at another woman's picture—no, Luna's not family. I got an Oh-so-better plan."

.

* * *

><p>A boisterous laugh roared from the farthest room of Alice Academy's main building. Hii-sama, the school principal continuously hit her desk as she let her laughter fill the warm and dimly lit room. "And you actually came this late to tell me this?" she told her special visitor. "I do appreciate you for having courage to come here and trust me, but what made you think that I'd actually agree on this? I'm the principal and I need make <em>wise<em> decisions not what funders want me to do." She sat on her black swivel chair purely entertained on some proposal that came late that night before the resume of classes.

"I'm talking about some bullying happening in your school" Natsume Hyuuga sat almost regretful of even coming. He hated the idea of being powerless and asking help from someone he's unfamiliar with. The principal was another family friend but being Natsume, he rarely associates even to first degree cousins. His only world was mom, dad, Aoi, Luna, his manga collection and a couple of selected friends. "I'm assuming that you're aware of this by the fact that you just laughed it off. So tell me, why is this bullying whatsoever still going on?"

"Shall I tell you?" Hii-sama teased, rolling a few strands of her hair by her finger. "I'm doing nothing because I know."

Natsume shot a perplexed look.

"I kind of knew you'd come too. Did you know? This is the last semester of my favorite batch's stay here that's why I'm making this a very, very special time for them, for you Hyuugas and for me." She boastfully told him who was still puzzled and expectant. "Now this proposal," she tossed a shiny folder aside and nodded. "I'm letting it pass on one condition—keep me entertained. I " have enough confidence that if you do something, it'd be purely perfect and flawless. Is there anything you need?"

"So you know who it is." He said, "Then bring me to the class of _that_ senior."

"Oh _her_," Then she roared in laughter once more. "I thought you'd like to be near your dear little _sweet_ sister. I do tell you, there are more secrets in this school than you can handle. When people think students here are nice, disciplined and all—well they're all wrong. Students here are pretentious and they dream big. _All_ of them. Have fun but I could only give you this semester… but you know, the school year's last month's a special time for our school and yours so you better not waste time.

"You're actually holding _that_? After two years, you are?" he narrowed his eyes.

"Of course. I told you didn't I? This is my favorite batch's last year. It has to be special." She slyly smiled. "You go back now. Classes start tomorrow, and I'd send someone within this week to give you a briefing about the school."

With that, Natsume Hyuuga finally relaxed a little. _Just a little_.

_Curse you Kokoro Yome for making me cross dress._

_._

* * *

><p>Natsume left his tea untouched and exited the room, closing the huge and heavy doors with minimum effort. He turned to briskly walk out the school premises but saw a silhouette of some girl walking towards his direction but since the corridor was completely unlit he couldn't see any face. Holding on his left was a few transfer papers and that glossy magazine from two year s ago, he rummaged through his pocket looking for his phone. Surprised when it suddenly rang, he unconsciously let the papers fall. The stranger came closer and kneed down to pick up his things but she suddenly stayed frozen.<p>

Natsume took the chance to look at the other person. He was sure it was a girl because of the S-line but was kind of disappointed to see her hair in a short male hairstyle. The girl stood up, handed his things and quickly turned away to head to Hii-sama's office.

Frozen, he stood lost in thoughts, "That was… Hotaru Imai."

"Seeing him up close, I kind of know why everyone's protecting Aoi Hyuuga from the bullying issue." Hotaru spoke to the tall lady with curly hair who was gazing outside the window, "I should have taken a picture. It'd sell quite well."

"Should you protect her from the bully then, Hotaru-chan?" she replied playfully.

Hotaru rolled her eyes and helped herself for some earl grey tea. "We should start our sem planning now, _auntie_."

.

* * *

><p><em>She's not here again<em>, Imai Hotaru, Alice academy's Ice Princess thought as she sat inside the huge air-conditioned classroom. Only five minutes left before homeroom starts, she was mentally pissed but kept her famous expressionless countenance. The class was quite lively since it was the first day after winter break, a new semester starting that would definitely be amusing.

Meanwhile, near the dorm area, there walked a fit girl on a black pants, her _black_ hair half in front was on a short messy bob cut and the other half at the back, tied on a bun. She walked lazily like a drunkard, her head shifting from one side to the other as she perked up the bright sky, eyes half open.

Raising her hand up the air, she tried to grab the sun through her nimble fingers with a sheepish grin. "Oh!" she shoved her wrist near her face, gawking in disbelief at her watch. "I'm late…" Despite this, she still walked on the grounds as normally as she could, randomly picking flowers, taking the longer routes and gazing at the clear blue sky. "4 more months…"

Feeling her phone vibrate, she picked it out from her coat's pocket, focusing on the message she had just received.

'**Sakura Mikan, if you're not here in five,  
>you're gonna be dead and please take that<br>coat off when you get inside the room. This  
>is the last year, at least wear the uniform<br>properly. 4 more moths…**

**-Hotaru'**

She guiltily clenched her midnight blue coat and returned her phone, "Here we go with the talk of uniforms again."

"I would like to introduce to you, Hana Natsume." The homeroom teacher Narumi Anjo, a cheerful blond guy reeking with pheromones said as a tall and tense girl with jet black hair stepped inside the room. Her eyes were golden brown but as every girl knew, they were contact lenses. Still, everyone can't help but be jealous that she was a top star student, had long legs, fair white complexion and perfectly sculptured features.

Hyuuga Natsume had never felt uneasy at that moment, standing in a room full of estrogen and him being the only bearer of the Y chromosome at the moment. _I still can't believe I agreed with Koko… For Aoi… I have to do this._

"Ohio, I'm Natsume Hana." He said, forcing a 90 degree bow to perfect his cover.

Hotaru Imai, class vice president, looked at the new student without much interest.

"Well then, there are still three available seats. Please choose one of your liking Hana-chan" Naru told _him_.

Male at heart, Natusme instinctively wanted the back seat and was really glad that the pair of seat at the back was empty. He struggled to walk with his pair of heels ignoring the stares of admiration they were obviously casting on him— or _her_. After he settled, Narumi bid goodbye and gleefully danced his way out, leaving the remaining homeroom time free for students to catch up and resume their talks. He didn't even check the attendance.

"Imai-san," someone called from behind the stoic class officer. "Shouldn't we have told Natsume-chan that..." the random girl weakly told her, pointing to the new student's direction.

Hotaru sighed, "Math class is about to start so you guys prepare."

All heads turned to her in attention, "What do you expect on the first day of the week with Jinno-sense? It's supposed to be a surprise quiz." And with that, all girls panicked, jumping on nerds to at least refresh their minds on any formula they could remember. She rolled her eyes. They had been students of Jinno from middle school yet they still weren't used to his predictable-only-to-Imai-Hotaru tricks.

As for Natsume, he sat comfortably, resting his legs on the desk and watched the girls scamper around. He had always been around girls, flocked him, not that he didn't like it that's why he felt weird now that they're not drooling over him.

"You don't mind your panties getting seen?" Hotaru beamed as she approached him.

_Oops, forgot._ He blushed and immediately sat properly.

"Well you know" she started. "I don't really care about your seating preferences but-"

The backdoor slid in a second and revealed Sakura Mikan, staring at the noisy flock of girls. The moment she stepped inside, all heads turned as she walked towards Hotaru.

Setting her eyes on Natsume, she stared at him with arched brows. "Black hair, gold eyes and a super bod" she muttered. "Natsume Hana as what I've heard."

T've seen her somewhere... Natsume fixed his eyes on her face as well; a good figure plus her heart shaped face. She looked feminine actually, but her eyes, there's just something off about how she looks at others. Eyes going down, he saw her rocking her skinny pants, obviously a one-star student.

"Pardon me for the interruption but as I was saying-" Hotaru huffed. "Never mind. Since you're both here, you should greet your new roommate, Mikan"

"ROOMMATE?" both exclaimed, Mikan's brows twitching as the other party looked dumbs trucked.

"Well you sure are pretty masculine to scream like that, Natsume Hana" Hotaru eyed him.

He gulped. _Need to act feminine._ He coughed gently then crossed his legs. _Uncomfortable..._

Mikan turned to Hotaru, breaking her staring contest with Natsume. "What's this? You allowed _**her **_to seat here?" she told her best friend, placing her finger on her supposed to be seat.

All eyes darted as the Vice Pres. and the President, Sakura Mikan started the cold war.

_She's still scary after all. _

_I'm sure she'll never get her rank higher._

_I don't even know why she's the president._

_Imai deserves it better._

Natsume heard all the murmurs, catching all sorts of information. _President of the class? A one-star?_

Mikan tossed her brown leather bag beside Natsume and chuckled. "Whatever"

_Interesting. Hi-sama knows sure enough how to spice the school up. _Hotaru turned to look at the two girl, Natsume Hana and Sakura Mikan as they sat indifferently.

"NOTES DOWN, PAPERS ON YOUR DESKS NOW" an old hulky man with small eyeglasses barged inside the room with an 800 paged Calculus book on his hand and a little pet frog on his right shoulder. He didn't even send a look on the girls but instantly placed his book on the table, pulled some papers and immediately started the dreaded welcome pre-test.

All heads were facing down their desks not even daring to make eye contact with him. As he passed the questionnaires Mikan snorted, "now what crap did he wrote down..."

She handed him the paper and stared at it for a few more minutes while the other girls dashed to write random figures on their papers. Natsume didn't bother her and proceeded to answering his own.

_This is the last semester; you don't need to hold back anymore. Do everything the way you would've done it._ Sakura Mikan _was _a math geek. She used to—in middle school, and everyone knew that so it brought a lot of gossips when she started failing her subjects. During tests she'd be either perfecting them or failing them by not writing any answers at all) and her grade results would always be on the brink—exactly the passing grade. She had done it since the start of high school and soon, the name Sakura the math nerd vanished and now only Koizumi and Imai battle for almost every aspect in school. Even Hotaru can't force Mikan to properly do her school duties but a few weeks ago, they talked and Hotaru seriously told Mikan not to hold back.

"First to finish perfectly gets the privilege to cut for a week. No offense on the logbook." Jinno, the math teacher suddenly said in the middle of the silence.

Natsume felt Mikan glare at the teacher as she placed her pen down the desk. From his peripheral view, she was, he assumed, done a minute after Jinno's announcement.

He scribbled a few more numbers then boxed all his answers before purposely looking at the bored Mikan, chin on her palm as her elbow rested on the desk. "You're done. Why aren't you submitting your paper?" he curiously whispered lowly.

Jinno perked up from the book he was reading, "Miss Natsume Hana, are you done?"

He sighed then nodded on the teacher. "Since I'm going to him and you're too lazy to get up, let me do the honor to send your paper too- _roommate_" he told her without looking at her eyes.

Everyone watched in admiration as Natsume confidently walked on high black pumps towards Jinno. "I see Miss Sakura's done as well" he said sending a quick glance at Mikan after receiving the two papers.

Natsume have always been a math wiz since his childhood years, and since biologically speaking, men do outshine women in numbers that's why he was kind of intrigued over Mikan who purposely didn't submit her paper. _This is annoying... I saw her papers. How could she be a low rank?_ He silently watched as the other student bent low on their desks, the others hitting their heads because apparently the test was too hard.

Mikan buried her head down the desk and planned to take a sleep with the remaining time. "Tch. Even if I finish it perfectly first, he's never let me skip class. I had too many late records on him last semester… or the other sem… and the other too… pfft."

And when the bell rang and Jinno sped out of the class, all girls jumped on Natsume, buzzing and adoring him like he's the most popular kid in town- as a girl.

Mikan helped herself out of the crowd, heading straight to Hotaru who was fiddling with some igloo-shaped gadget. "I'm hungry..." she told the busy girl.

"I told you to eat breakfast so you don't drain your energy on math tests"

"No... I didn't even burn a single neuron with that crap. I'm just hungry..." she scowled and walked out. "I'm gonna grab something to eat"

A few seconds later, the door slid forcefully open. "Everyone! Anna was being…!" a short and petite classmate of theirs yelled, huffing as she informed the class and gave them a look. "Anna-chan wasn't able to attend homeroom because she was at the infirmary since last night but then… _that_person! She came and is mocking her!"

The next thing that happened didn't please Natsume at all. Everyone turned silent and forced all doors, windows close as they all cower in fear. He saw them whisper and murmur undecipherable things.  
><em>It might be the bully Aoi was talking about... <em>He was about to run outside but ceased when Hotaru stopped him

"You're a newbie right?" she reminded him. "Don't meddle in this things," she said, not doing anything as well.

All Nastume could catch was that there was a bully, a group of girls that scare top star students every now and then. He could hear small whimpers and cries from outside. _Was Aoi treated like this too? I can't bear this... whoever it is..._ He strongly felt that he needed to know at that moment but when Natsume Hyuuga opened that door, it was one of the least things he thought he'd see:

Sakura Mikan pinning Aoi Hyuuga on the wall as the raven haired girl whimpered. His sister was bruised on her cheek and her eyes about to burst into tears.

.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Spellchecked. First of all, thank you for the positive reviews even when I couldn't bear to look at the full-of-typo's copy of mine while the net was gone. I was actually hitting my head calling myself idiot cause, really... something's wrong. I guess it had been very long since the last time I really wrote things like this. Again SUPAHHH THANK YOU! Mikan's boyish here but nope, not a tomboy... ang I love Natsume in skirts haha! Oh and have I said before that I love making Mikan a math geek? I guess I haven't. I mean... at least she could be- in fanfics! lol~ Chap 2 soon! -Oj**


	2. Two: Female talks and Lies

**A/N: Sleepy… I'm actually having fun over Integral Calculus. Is that a bad thing? Teehee. Well, I'm not really good at it but I'm really liking it, I'm weird. Shit! I even like it when I'm going clueless over some weird problem. Haha, perks of studying in a state university, lol~**

**Disclaimer: HIGUCHITACHIBANAOWNSGAFOREVAH!**

* * *

><p><em>He strongly felt that he needed to know at that moment but when Natsume Hyuuga opened that door, it was one of the least things he thought he'd see:<em>

_Sakura Mikan pinning Aoi Hyuuga on the wall as the raven haired girl whimpered. His sister was bruised on her cheek and her eyes about to burst into tears._

**.**

**SHEmale**  
>Two: Female talks and Lies<p>

.

Natsume _tried_ to keep his cool despite seeing that someone he instantly disliked the first sight and his dearest sister in that situation. He tried, but no—he couldn't. "What are you doing?" he shouted, racing from the door to the where the two stood.

No one even tried to go out the class, only Imai Hotaru who stopped the pretending Natsume by one word, "Hyuuga- " She slowly paced out the classroom and sternly gazed at them.

He stood halfway frozen and uncertain whether Hotaru knows or something else.

"Hyuuga Aoi… you don't even know her. Do you? Nat—su—me—Ha—Na?" she circled him in amusement, pleased at his face that didn't know what really to show—concern for Aoi or a face of someone robbed off his secret. "Or perhaps, she or I dare say, her brother is that popular for even someone new like you. You like Natsume Hyuuga too? That you protect his dear little sister that much?" she continued, her purple eyes playfully staring at him.

He groaned in disbelief and ignored her, walking forward with eyes fixed on his sister, "Get your hands off her!" Natsume pushed Mikan who caught herself before even falling because of his strength.

Mikan, still oblivious to Natsume's real identity grinned at the sight of him cuddling Aoi like a baby. "This is what I'm talking about. You're a newbie, you don't know anything. Stupid _girl_." Shaking the bad mood away, she turned to Hotaru, "Take care of everything else. I pass, I'm hungry… I guess it is the math test after all." She held her grumbling tummy and tapped her best friend's shoulder.

"You still dare eat?" he growled of which she just shrugged off.

Hotaru interrupted, "Bring her to the infirmary if you like."

"If I like?" snarled Natsume. "A choice? What the hell is this school?"

She half-smirked, "Do what you want. One, I don't particularly care about her—unlike you and two, I'll be very much pleased to see you going hysterical later on as everyone laugh at you."

He ignored her implied prediction and instead retorted, "And you're a top star? You don't have concern at all and you speak ill of people. Next time this happens to her, I'll make sure it reaches her family."

"As if it hadn't reached yet…" she whispered lowly to herself. "Stop making me laugh. You're a top star too" Looking at Aoi, she said, "You too Aoi Hyuuga, you're a top star right? Do tell this new student here not to talk like she knows anything about school ranks. Such a pain."

.

* * *

><p>"Oi, Just tell me!" Natsume tried to persuade the pinked haired Anna the rest of the break time after bringing Aoi at the infirmary while ignoring her so as not to be found out. "Did she threaten you? Aren't you concerned over Aoi Hyuuga?"<p>

Anna frowned, sitting at the center of the circular crowd and her hand held in comfort by Nonoko Ogasawara who had also experienced the occasional bullying just before winter break. The two looked at each other's eyes and as if in telepathy, exchanged messages only they knew.

"All of you saw it right?" he continued as everyone avoided eye contact with him.

"No one saw. You saw nothing as well." Hotaru walked inside followed by Mikan and as usual, they were never unnoticed. As an odd pair, everyone wondered how friendship could evolve between a smart, sophisticated and perfect Imai Hotaru and a ruthless, stupid-looking, and horrible at make-up Sakura Mikan.

Mikan looked at him amused at his outraged and perplexed look, feasting on it as it was a gag show airing on TV. "How pathetic." She managed to murmur, quite the same as what Hotaru thought.

Hyuuga Natsume had never been talkative, whinny, feminine and war-freak all of his life that's why he hated the idea of cross-dressing as if it was a sin. Koko's idea wasn't even plausible yet he bought it, even Hi-sama bought it. Feeling helpless for the first time, feeling like no one would side him, he shut his mouth for the moment. _We're settling this later—roommate._

_._

* * *

><p>Classes ended by five and everyone dragged themselves back to the dorms, each year level having their own five story building that housed at least a hundred and fifty girls each. Two students are allocated per room which is air-conditioned, have two queen sized beds, two desks, a walk in closet, a living room, a wide and spacious white-tiled bathroom with a tub and heater, and a mini-kitchen and fridge weekly supplied with goods by the school staff.<p>

By six, Natsume Hyuuga casually walked by the huge marble hallway at the fifth floor of the third year's dorm. The skies had set a couple of minutes while he was confronting the principal who only shook off his "over-reacting" as what she had called his reaction. He didn't even get a proper answer from her when he asked if it was Mikan who was the dreaded "bully" who had hurt Aoi. Because of this, of course, he had a small scowl on his face as he walked pulling a medium sized trunk and a huge sports bag that he easily held by his shoulder. He didn't even care that he totally _acted_ like a guy on a skirt since the girls had long gone inside their rooms, drowning themselves on the 300 practice exercise of Jinno-sensei for Integrals.

Upon reaching the last door of the top floor, and meeting slash ignoring Hotaru, the head girl, on the hallway, he stared at the door, determined to finish it once and for all.

He left his bags by the shoe cabinet, hoping to do things as fast as possible and be able to throw away the skirts, the wigs, and excessive cosmetics Koko delightfully packed the other night. His friend was seriously taking advantage of the situation to make fun of him.

He walked inside, glancing over the neat living room that had one long sofa and two single ones, a glass center table which had dried irises in a vase, a huge flat screen TV and a complete home theater. On his left was the mini-kitchen where a few cereal crumbs were left and an empty bowl beside a milk carton. The sight irked him. Moving forward past a wooden divider by the living room, he saw two beds and Mikan on a corner.

"I'm here." He called out in monotone from behind her. He found her sitting on her own oak desk in front of the laptop watching One Piece—Luffy going berserk over Ace's death. Before he could even be caught up in his own liking for Shounen, she paused the video and grabbed her wristwatch that was lying on the desk as well and for a second looked at it, tapping it thrice as if computing something then shifted her position to face the bed on her left.

"Welcome, let's be friends," she started, "yeah. Crap, don't expect that from me after how stupid you looked this morning."

"Well, you have some explain—"

"House rules. One, curfew at six. Two, light's off at 12. Three we cook our own dinner; someone comes to put the goods on Sundays. Fou—"

"I don't need that." He snapped.

Unfazed, she shot an uninterested look on him. "I don't care by the way…" she replied. "But it's written on the handbook page 16 article 3 section 7: It is the obligation of an older student to brief a new student in case she gets assigned to a new roommate about school and dorm policies." Her face was still looking at him, not a second blinking as she stated it straight from memory. "Heard me? O. Bli. Ga. Tion." She pointed out.

He tried to keep his poker face, actually not finding a particular word to describe her. Eccentric? Yet she was appealing. But he countered that she had bad make-up and that she had just pinned Aoi on the wall that morning. Nice way to greet a roommate.

"Four, personal issues between roommates are not supposed to be discussed during class hours." She paused. "So if you want to discuss something about me _bullying_ _someone_—speak after I finish. I don't promise to answer everything."

And that word hit him; she had just admitted it. "Then wha—" he blurted out.

"I said 'after I finish' right?" she cut him, narrowing her eyes. "five…

… Twenty, wear the uniform properly and act according to your rank." She finally ended after a few minutes with Natsume bored to death, his high spirits in finally being close to the answer gone and drained.

"Now," he stretched, seeking his supposed to be 'bed' for comfort. He sat nonchalantly yet with his still so serious face. "Tell me what happened this morning."

"The premise was that Anna was bullied a day before the first day."

"Who was bullying her then?"

She shrugged, "It's not me."

He mentally groaned then continued, crossing his long legs. "Then tell me who was bullying Aoi?"

Mikan suddenly chuckled, "It all goes down to this eh? By 'was' you mean 'this morning' or 'the past few weeks', hm?"

"Answer both." He was so close. For him, she looked like she wouldn't even try making their talk a joke so he expected the truth.

Slyly staring at the new _pretty like a flower_ new student, she hissed, "Me and me." A smirk graced her red and full lips after her reply sunk on his thoughts.

Natsume Hyuuga's face was didn't have any reaction. He was thinking… After finding out, he didn't knew. A girl was admitting it before his eyes; should he strip his wig off and hit her mercilessly? Drag her to Aoi and force her to ask forgiveness? Choke her? Or bring her to Hi-sama? He was confused, totally not knowing what to do. It irritated him more that she had a very confident and mocking countenance that she flashed right onto him.

"Do you always sound like that?" she innocently asked in wonder. "You sound like a Shounen Seiyuu. Well you're like a girl but your voice… it's unisex."

"Huh?" his energy sank low. She's just too unpredictable for him. _Does she know I'm a guy?_ He shook his head, the long black wig on his head swaying softly, covering his eyes. "Next!" he impatiently tapped his foot. "Answer me properly. Why are you bullying Aoi Hyuuga?"

"Pass" her eyes rolled.

"Answer!"

She slammed her hand on the desk, finally showing irritation, and said, "Do you like Natsume Hyuuga too?" Crossing her legs and leaning a bit, she continued, "Why is everyone like that—to her? Everyone's defending her like crazy! You—all of you. All of you want to get on Hyuuga Natusme's good side?"

"What?" he grunted. "You're mad! Why am _I_ in this? I mean, why is he in this talk? Everyone's bringing him up. Why are you hurting her then? To be different? Ha, you want to be special in his eyes!"

"This is stupid. Why is everyone dazzled by a single guy?" she retorted.

"Answer me." He insisted, believing that he finally had found her motive. "You're bullying Aoi to get noticed by him huh?"

"What's there to do with someone I don't know?"

"Seriously? Not know _me_—eh, I mean, him? You're kidding. He's—" he didn't know what to describe himself. "but then, you're not answering! Why then bully her?"

"Do you have to know my reason? Will you die if I didn't tell you? A guy I don't even know? Tss. Of course I've heard the name. Heck! His face is plastered on all the newspapers published in every club in here—front page. It's _sickening_! You fan girls are crazy. Even if that Natsume-whoever-ass/ jerk he is, even if he comes here and slaps me, grind me or whatsoever I DON'T CARE. I have too much attention to handle until my next two lives. Do you know how many times they pushed me on the rooftop? Attempted to burn _my_ room? False accused me and—jeez, I should be filing an attempted murder case by now. It's my last year after all."

Surprised, Nastume cannot find the words to reply back. What she had just said was so unreal but it just sinks into him and was forcing him to believe even though he refused. "You're telling me that those girls were…"

Bored, she looked away and back to her laptop. " Stop pitying me. Whatever your connection is with those Hyuugas, stop dragging me in. _Just go with the flow_." She picked her watch and sighed, counting the minutes she lost by talking too much.

He shut up and lunged himself on the bed, facing his left to avoid seeing her as she watched once again.

By the time he turned back, the clock said 10 pm. He had idled for so long as he drowned himself with music. Mikan had just shut her netbook and she immediately grabbed her sweater and headed to the living room, to the shoe cabinet and started to tie her chucks. He watched her but then she glared back at him then back at his two bags that stood screaming 'Look at me! I'm Natsume Hana's trunk!' in front of the shoe cabinet.

"At least fix up before snoring off!" Annoyed, she dragged the heavy bags with a little trouble but still managed to throw it beside a white wooden door.

With that, she headed for the door, "Oi where are you going? Curfew was six!"

"I'm heading for dinner."

"But you said we're cooking our own dinner!"

"I am heading for dinner at Hotaru's. Her door is just five inches beside my door, got a problem with that?" the she slammed the door, "Lights off at 12!"

"Go eat you pig!" he murmured as he sat alone in wonder. She ate past seven yet looked so fit and healthy. Mysterious woman with horrible make-up.

.

* * *

><p>Whether Sakura Mikan returned or not, Natsume didn't know until he woke up, the skies still dark and his digital alarm clock not yet ringing since he woke up earlier than 'early'. His eyes were used to the dark ever since childhood and even used to guide Aoi to the kitchen during their midnight snack time when he was still five since the servants leave at ten.<p>

He rose and fixed the misplaced wig on his head then took his jogging clothes from the walk-in closet, making no noise at all as he fixed up and placed the golden brown contacts on his naturally fiery eyes. Out of curiosity, he turned on the small lamp on his desk just to take a peak of Sakura Mikan who moved in her sleep when the light radiated on her face. He saw her on a blue sweater that covered the thin spaghetti strapped night gown she wore and a thick wool blanket on her half bottom. He let out a small chuckle upon realizing that her eyes was covered and was a little disappointed not to see her face. Men had this instinct of judging women based on their natural faces—not their faces on natural make-up.

But then, he immediately turned the light off when she groaned and turned, slapping his head upon forgetting that he had some business with the evil woman sleeping infront of him.

He needed to think.

After knowing, what did he plan to do? Did he even? It was so unlike him to be unprepared. The evil woman was making him run in circles, making him crazy.

Well, he had evidence. She did admit it. Telling it to his parents looked cowardly so he scratched it out. Telling it to Hi-sama… but she said "I'm doing nothing because I know" back during their talk. That statement still sends him perplexed every time he remembers. Is Sakura _powerful_? Does she _have an influential family that backs her up_? _Money?_ As far as he knew, only them, the Hyuuga's are enough in Gakuen Alice.

Natsume shook his head in sweat furiously. Not only is he confused, the whole cross-dressing still isn't growing on him. He jogged the 2km race track seven times more before deciding to head back dorm.

When he reached the top floor, Hotaru Imai welcomed her with her stoic and cold eyes.

"Great." He said in sarcasm. "Oh right—if she won't talk, then you will."

"1000 yen per question." She replied with a smirk. "Why? It's pretty cheap."

He grumbled. "Fine." Reaching for his wallet he pulled a thick stack of bills. "Then assure me, it's her right?"

"Vague."

He scowled, "The one bullying Aoi. It's her."

"Oh yes. She already told you. You're wasting money, that's great." She offered her hand, waiting for one bill to land on it.

"Then tell me the reason why she's doing it."

"There are more secrets in this school than you can handle." She replied, "was it something like that? Well yeah, that's the reason I guess. She's a righteous girl."

"Righteous girl? Huh? Pinning an innocent girl on the wall? _It was her who cut Aoi's hair back last winter break!_"

With that, Hotaru narrowed her eyes. "You knew." Came her reply with which, Natsume tried to shake off upon realizing that he had let unnecessary things slip his mouth.

"Natsume Hana, hand me another bill for the second question." She said and he generously slapped it on her palm. "As for a bonus, which I rarely do, let me tell you some important things for 5, 000 yen. It really, really cheap." She expected him to bite her bait, earning money and making him do all the discoveries himself. "Take it? No?"

He bit his lip and slammed the rest of the money on her hands, making her smirk in contentment. "Let me tell you about five things you ought to know…

**In Alice Academy, without a name, you can't survive. Being unable to use your name here unlike in your previous school makes you utterly powerless, **_**girl**_**.**

**Do you know why no one's answering you yesterday? It's not that they don't know. Everyone knows. It's because they choose not to know—not to answer you and in relation to that…**

…**In Alice Academy, only academic and official issues are allowed to talk about. If you remember the looks of our classmates yesterday then you'll understand. It's one of the two reasons why they're all mute and refused to talk and the second reason is… Natsume Hyuuga. It's him after all, that's making everyone go mute. You don't need to be surprised.**

**And let me tell you about the four people ruling this nasty school: The four bullies. One is the slyest woman you'll find—if you manage to break her cover though. She manages to bully even without me noticing it—me who's the most informed person in school. Second is from a powerful family, she uses her name to make people follow her. A very vain lady. You should pay her a visit. The third one's the bully of the bullies. She only targets the two girls I've just mentioned. It short, she's a robin hood of the school. Lastly, the one who has access over every data in school and uses it to black mail people—don't worry, I'm not exposing you… yet. It's me. Yoroshiku, Natsume HYUU—GA.**

With her last statement, Natsume finally showed a surprise and alarmed face which Hotaru returned with a smirk of triumph.

"Oh I forgot the fifth one…

… _**Sakura Mikan is a Superwoman."**_

_**.**_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Chapter 2 done! Yes! Yay! Yay! I'm loving how Natsume's talking, Hotaru's talking and Mikan's—well, umm—not talking? It's a complete turn of characters. Lol, and I like it. Review for me, pretty please? Kekeke~ **

**I'm really loving Sandeul right now, lol~ -Oj :D **


	3. Three: The Stalker and the Bully

**A/N:Random update for it's less than a week before school resumes. When will I ever update properly. It's hmmm, 3 am and I just suddenly thought of posting this chap. It has been stuck for how many months now? 2? 3? school just killed me, ahahaha! But I guess I'm back!**

**Disclaimer: **

* * *

><p><strong>SHEmale<strong>  
>Three: The Stalker and the Bully<p>

"Hana-senpai!" Aoi called the moment Natsume stepped out from class to take a break. All heads turned when they saw how sweet and close the top star freshman act with the new and popular student Natsume Hana.

After that scene when he first entered Gakuen Alice, Natsume had become a close friend of Aoi. But still, he tried to keep his distance so as not to blow his cover.

.

He still didn't know what to do with Sakura, whether to just beat her or do something to scare her but he figured that such lowly actions are not like him and he expected her not to be simply scared. She bullied a Hyuuga; he bet it took a huge amount of confidence and strength. And that's when he decided: He'll take Jinno's cutting privilege and observe a little bit more.

Finding solid proof and courageous enough witnesses was his top priority and the only way to do so was to follow her close enough 24/7 if possible. It was decided, the only way to stop her entirely was to expose her infront of the whole school and infront of the school's committee.

The idea at least eased his heart for a moment but when he started really planning for it in his head, the idea of shaming a girl infront of many people bugged him until bedtime. He couldn't even look at Sakura Mikan the rest of the night. All he did was face the white wall, staring at a lonely ant as it wandered with a small crystal of sugar. He was again, confused. Hours passed and he didn't even do homework or eat dinner.

"I'm seriously being killed everytime I deal with this woman. She really is dangerous." he whispered trying to get some sleep even though morning was just a few hours away, the skies lightening up.

* * *

><p>And so, Natsume Hyuuga ended up with no sleep. The only way to keep himself up was to jog once again, numerous times as Hotaru watched in amusement. She wasn't that cruel to actually record his current pretentious life and watch it become a blockbuster but she did find a little pleasure in actually seeing a very popular man run in circles figuratively and literally.<p>

After his long run he immediately dashed back to the dorms and when he lifelessly turned to the room at the farthest right of the top floor, he just barged inside his dorm room or so what he thought was his until he saw a fair and rosy girl with a long black hair wearing a white sando and undergarments about to put on her cycling shorts. The peculiar sight and the strawberry scent he smelled stunned him for a second and made him immediately rush outside after the sight finally struck him.

Wandering in space, he randomly faced the wall, tapped his cheeks, checked his temperature and mumbled to himself looking totally odd. It was the first time he… he saw a girl on… those. Checking his watch, and coming back to senses he faced back the door and checked the room number. "But this is the one I slept inside last night…"

"No wait, this is it! And if this is the right one then that girl—" he hastily pushed the door open, his wig moving smoothly like natural healthy hair of a woman. "Nope."

He found Mikan coming out from the bathroom with her improper uniform on and a bath towel on her head, her face completely covered with make up once again; looking ugly as usual.

"Natsume Hana, I'm surprised that you're not in class yet. I guess you're not an obedient girl after all."

"I have the right to cut Math." He snapped femininely avoiding to look at her awkward face.

"Ohh," she pulled the towel down to reveal her wet hair already tied and the short bob in front wavy and dripping with water. "Then enjoy your free time new student. And remember not to get too much attention" she responded as she walk to and fro picking up her things and putting them in order.

Natsume just eyed her, scrutinizing. It appeared that she didn't have any hard feelings on him—or on his female side. He supposed she didn't really have the right to hate him. He was the one that must be hating on her. "You are thirty minutes late already roommate. You've missed homeroom by now."

"Oh? Homeroom? Naru need not check my attendance." Mikan confidently replied. "They're used to it."

"Sheesh. Totally unlikeable." He mumbled under his breath.

She threw a swift glance over the girl on sweat clothes before slinging her bag on her shoulders and walking lazily out.

"Tch. Annoying." Natsume said after he heard the soft click of the door. Then he remembered again the pretty girl just minutes ago. Was his eyes fooling him? Did he get the wrong door a while ago? Was it a ghost? He had thought of the wildest hunches and all but never that it was Mikan. "Pretty…"

He entered the bathroom to smell the scent of Strawberry. "That Sakura does have taste even a bit." He sniffed. "Strawberry… but—"

Natsume Hyuuga had always been a sharp fellow especially when facts are slapping him right on the face. "Same height, skin tone, body frame, hair color but Sakura has short hair… strawberry… Could it be her? Tch. Impssible. Impossible." He continuously convinced himself over and over.

For an hour he laid on his bed without the golden contacts, the wig and the skirts; completely male. "Forget it all. I must focus on Aoi's business. Nat, focus, focus. Inhale, exhale. One: Identify the problem. Right and the problem is that Aoi's being bullied. Two: Identify the source of the problem. The source is Sakura Mikan. Right. Right. It is her! Three: Eliminate the source of the problem. Eliminate, Eliminate. Eliminate Sakura Mikan. Eliminate? But how?"

He scratched his head, "Again, again. Focus, focus. Inhale, exhale. My problem: I don't know how to eliminate the source of the first problem. What is the source of this problem? Why can't I devise a way to eliminate that idiot? How, how, how. Arrgh! Sakura is ruining my system! How, how, how? No. focus, focus…

Arrgh! I can't think!" He rolled to his right twice then back three rolls on his left. He tried massaging his temples but the wrinkle on his forehead didn't disappear. "That's right! Of course, I must find information first to defeat the enemy. Right, must collect info."

He had always been like that. He believed in a system to properly solve any problem. Always succeeding to fix his problems that way, he thought Mikan and Aoi's issue could also be solved the same way.

Hastily putting on his female clothes, putting on ample make-up and perfecting his disguise, he headed out and checked what his classmates might be doing at that moment.

* * *

><p>He entered the Laboratory where the girls were flocking and diligently working on their own experiments while Hotaru Imai enjoyed one whole table all for herself and Sakura Mikan only took one end her head resting on the table, already done with that day's activity as she quietly sat beside the already clean test tubes and properly placed apparatus.<p>

Standing on one corner in wonder, Hotaru walked passed him and said, "I told you she's a super woman."

He snickered. "As if." And he proceeded working on his own as well.

After that, they headed back to their classroom for their two-hour Economics class of which Mikan spent only fifteen minutes awake, the rest, her head on the desk dozing off. She finished her seatwork immediately after it was given while the other girls sneakily passed answers to one another.

Natsume just looked at her head from the back then back to the problem set and glanced at Hotaru who mouthed again, "I told you" which he just shrugged off. He refused to believe of Sakura being some super woman or anything positive. She just doesn't look like it. Plus, what year is it already? Super Woman? Seriously? That's the funniest joke he has ever heard.

"As I was saying—are you listening Miss Hana Natsume?" the teacher called out. "Sakura, wake up!"

The two of them straightened their backs because of the cold tone of the teacher. Mikan sent a glare over Natsume who glared back then smiled sweetly at the teacher just to appease her anger.

Mikan glanced outside, letting her eyes wander off the corridor because the backdoor was wide open while Natsume took short glances over Mikan from time to time; grumpy mood, haggard look, lazy plus the fact that she doesn't fix her face properly so as with her messy hair. But when he closely looked, she does have the right jawline, noticeable cheekbones, proportional facial features and lips that he thought would look better without the so-last-year red red red lipstick.

"What's her problem?"

"Tch. What's with the absent-mindedness? Perhaps she's still in lalaland." Natsume saw Mikan looking directly at him, throwing this annoyed face he just couldn't get and beside her stood Hotaru who looked creeped over him as well.

"It's lunch time, H.N" Hotaru sent a knowing look.

He immediately snapped out of his deep studying with Mikan's—physical profile?

The two bestfriends left him alone after and headed for the cafeteria. He followed soon after being dragged by the other girls who were very eager to make friends with his female alter-ego.

* * *

><p>"Oh, that! That's a limited edition only found in France!"<p>

"So pretty!"

Natsume shot an uninterested look as he sat in between the girls, about ten of them, who were from the same class as they talked the whole time about designer this and designer that completely ignoring their untouched food.

"Hey look, Mori-chan of class 2F and her group's planning to do something to Sakura-san again." Someone whispered.

"What? Isn't she getting tired of it?"

They discreetly turned their eyes over a group of two-star students who were approaching Hotaru and Mikan as the two chatted at the most middle table of the huge cafeteria.

Natsume quietly watched as the leader-of-the-pack Mori-chan-whoever-she-is as she purposely tripped a geek student who was carrying a tray with glasses of orange juice.

Soaked. Mikan didn't even move a muscle or even said a word.

Hotaru on the otherhand looked bored and just stared waiting for what's gonna happen next.

"Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! This geek was in the way, I'm sorry Sakura-san!" she pointed at the scared girl who was looking down the floor in shame. The Mori-chan girl grabbed her hanky and wiped the damp face of Mikan who was still quiet.

The moment the hanky touched her cheek, Mikan grabbed her wrist and pushed it lightly and gently away, sending a sweet sarcastic smile. "It's fine. Thank you for your concern and I give you a B-. Next time, be more original my dear."

The whole cafeteria roared in laughter after her failure but now, Natsume's eyes were only in Mikan. Her cheek, after the hanky brushed on it removed some of the make-up. Mikan even wiped her face with her hand and moved slowly like nothing happened. She then lowered to pull up the geek student who didn't know if to be thankful, sorry or scared at her.

"Are you now wondering?" someone from behind told him. As he expected, it was Hotaru who had a very pleased look on her face.

"You're saying that while your bestfriend's wet and dirty?"

"She's completely fine. Why don't you go take a peek while she clean up back at the dorm. Hm?" Hotaru teased.

"Huh?" he turned red. "I've got no interest on such ugly girls!"

"Oh? Wasn't she pretty just an hour ago in Economics class? Oh Natsume, Natsume Hyu~"

"No, she wasn't!"

"Is that so? Then do me a favor and help her out back in the dorm. I can let you pass the next class."

"What?"

"How do say it? 'Inhale, Exhale. Focus, focus… How to eliminate Mikan Sakura…' was it something like that? I had just signed up a new YT account. Should I upload your video first?" The devilish aura came and heightened Hotaru's prodding.

Natsume sighed and left his lunch half finished. He didn't even know how such childish blackmailing was able to make him do things he swore he'd never do. Even peeking.

* * *

><p>Click.<p>

Natsume sneaked inside their dorm, quite careful in not making one single noise as he heard the shower violently resounded inside the huge room. He had been focusing himself and was making himself believe that he's not there to peek or anything dirty. He was there to be enlightened—to know the truth. Or both.

Hearing the running water stop and the knob turn, he immediately jumped out of surprise and hid at the back of the living room's thick curtain. Thankfully it was really bulky, black and thick that it helped much for his camouflage.

And then he saw…

That same girl he saw that morning. He couldn't deny then—it was indeed Sakura Mikan.

Clad in her bath robe, long black hair, down to her mid-back, wet and loose and her face completely fresh, Mikan slumped herself on her bed and sighed. "Still the same as ever."

Not knowing what to do, he stood for almost an hour, frozen and dumbfounded secretly watching as a pretty girl that he thought was very very very ugly before dress up (not that he peeked too much) and put on her horrible make-up once again, like a Cinderella that returned back to rags at midnight.

When Mikan, who was totally unaware, left the room, Natsume looked pale and mute. What reaction should he be doing anyway? One, that girl hurt his sister, two, she's a scary and snappy person, three, she wore horrible make-up and four, she was a pretty girl in mystery. What was he supposed to say?

Putting all those aside, he only wanted two things: One, to know why she's hiding that way and two, he wished the clock didn't strike twelve so that Cinderella would have to stay that way.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: How was it? Review, eh? The last part wasn't even in my plan for this chapter yet I've already typed it so, so so. Why do I find it so crappy. My writing skill that wasn't even that good to begin with is slowly dropping dooooo~wn. Ahh, I need to read and write more... been stuck with numbers for 5 months (happiness 3)**


End file.
